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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23139277">The Last Time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcanesupernova/pseuds/arcanesupernova'>arcanesupernova</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Always Have Been, Always Will Be - A Series of One-Shots [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/M, Oneshot, no happy ending</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:20:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>770</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23139277</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcanesupernova/pseuds/arcanesupernova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"It would kill me to do it."<br/>Ted can't keep this up forever.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Charlotte/Ted (The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Always Have Been, Always Will Be - A Series of One-Shots [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2099445</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Last Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Another night spent on the edge of Ted’s bed where they should’ve been fucking, but instead they were fighting. Coming to see him was becoming just as stressful as going home to Sam and Charlotte had started plotting her escape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ted, how do you think I feel?” she chastised him, edging closer to her shoes. “I like seeing you, I like what we’re doing together but I can’t leave Sam, he needs me-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sam needs a swift kick to the balls is what he needs,” Ted grumbled, standing up and kicking her shoes over to her. “Leave if you think that’s what you should do, but I’m locking that door behind you. I can’t keep doing this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This was your idea, Ted!” Charlotte reminded him, pushing the shoes away defiantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I can’t be fucking wrong?” he snarled, “I wanted you to stay here for the weekend. I thought being treated like an actual human being would knock some sense into your head, but you’re intent on being miserable, there’s nothing I can do about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charlotte was silent. She wanted to stay, she could stay here with Ted indefinitely but not when he went on his tangents about Sam. Not that wasn’t her fault he even got started, but she hadn’t expected an offhand remark about her husband’s preference of sheets to end them up here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ted, I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Charlotte, I love you,” Ted interrupted, not bothering to turn and face her, not even glancing in her direction. “You’ve known that, and you’ve insisted on using that to your advantage.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t pretend like you haven’t benefited yourself,” Charlotte hissed, “This is the last time, Ted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How many last times are you going to announce?” Ted laughed with no trace of humor. “This has to be the fiftieth last time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was against my better judgement.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, staying with Sam is against your better judgement, Charlotte. Letting him disrespect you with every college girl that ignores his wedding ring is against your better judgement,” he pleaded with her. He finally turned to look at her and she was surprised to find his eyes lined with red. He knelt down in front of her, taking her hand in his and looking up at her. “What we have, that’s your better judgement knowing what you deserve.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I deserve the office asshole who can’t help but hit on every female form that passes through the office?” Charlotte asked him coldly, pushing his hands away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything is better than being with Sam,” Ted sighed, looking to the ceiling. “I-I’m not saying I’m a prize catch but there’s a reason you came here. There’s a reason you’ve been coming here every time Sam works late.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t like being alone-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then go to Paul’s, or Bill’s. Hell, go to Melissa’s house for that matter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ted…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No Charlotte, I can’t keep listening to you cry over someone who could give a shit less about you when I’m standing here trying to give you everything you need. I’m not perfect, hell I’m far fucking from it but I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone before. I keep watching you torture yourself, and I just fucking can’t do it anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence filled the room, neither knowing what to say. Charlotte stared at the clock on Ted’s wall, watching the seconds tick by until an hour had passed without a word being said between them. She didn’t know what to tell him. She couldn’t leave Sam, he needed her. He couldn’t be expected to take care of the crime in Hatchetfield just to come home to do laundry. The lipstick and perfume changed but one thing remained the same, he always came home to her. Just like no matter how many nights she spent with Ted, she always came home to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re done here, Ted,” she told him finally, finally putting her shoes on. “I’ll see you on Monday.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Ted let her go. He sat there as she gathered her belongings. When she disappeared through his bedroom door, he still didn’t move. He waited until the front door clicked behind her to finally stand up and finally go after her. He tried desperately to ignore the part of him hoping she changed her mind and he’d find her standing there in her living room and they would go back to his room to forget this ever happened. The ringing silence in his living room cut the last lingering thread of hope that she would see sense. Still, he kept the promise he made her and went to the door and turned the lock behind her.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm always open to prompts/suggestions for what to write, so feel free to ask. :D</p></blockquote></div></div>
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